The humanitarian impacts of economic sanctions on Burundi

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imposed, Burundi was a country already in severe <strong>humanitarian</strong> crisis. Is there a threshold <strong>of</strong> human suffering, beyond which <strong>sanctions</strong> should no longer be imposed? Finally, more than 90 percent <strong>of</strong> Burundi’s population engages in subsistence agriculture, and functions to a large extent outside <strong>of</strong> the country’s formal economy. Might this characteristic <strong>of</strong> the Burundi economy partially insulate civilians from the harmful effects <strong>of</strong> <strong>sanctions</strong>? <strong>The</strong> research by Doctors Hoskins and Nutt was also designed for use by policymakers and practitioners, while <strong>sanctions</strong> were still evolving. A preliminary report was issued by the authors in March 1997 to make initial findings and recommendations immediately available to those concerned with the Burundi <strong>sanctions</strong>. Methodology This report is based on field research conducted by the authors in Burundi and Kenya between January 24 and February 21, 1997. Research included interviews with personnel from more than fifty United Nations agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Burundian government <strong>of</strong>fices and foreign embassies. Interviews and field visits were supplemented by an extensive review <strong>of</strong> all available documentation and related publications. <strong>The</strong> review was facilitated by the Nairobi-based UN Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN), which compiles and disseminates extensive and useful documentation related to the <strong>humanitarian</strong> situation throughout the Great Lakes Region. Field visits to Bujumbura Rural and the northern provinces <strong>of</strong> Ngozi and Muyinga provided the researchers with additional firsthand information on civilian conditions and the impact <strong>of</strong> <strong>sanctions</strong>. <strong>The</strong> majority <strong>of</strong> time spent, however, was in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura, interviewing UN, NGO, and government personnel to benefit from their insight and experience regarding the <strong>economic</strong> <strong>sanctions</strong>. xx
Adequacy and reliability <strong>of</strong> existing data It immediately became apparent in conducting this study that Burundi’s internal crisis and civil war have had far-reaching and devastating human consequences. For this reason, it is exceptionally difficult to ascertain whether the observed <strong>humanitarian</strong> condition is the result <strong>of</strong> <strong>sanctions</strong>, the ongoing crisis, or a combination <strong>of</strong> factors. Although every effort is made to distinguish between the two events (armed conflict and <strong>sanctions</strong>), the authors are careful to avoid sweeping statements and generalizations ascribing causation. Similarly, the ability to draw conclusions concerning the <strong>humanitarian</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> <strong>sanctions</strong> hinges on the presence <strong>of</strong> adequate and reliable baseline and ongoing data that describe civilian health and well-being. Even allowing for the serious methodological, logistical, and security constraints, the absence <strong>of</strong> reliable data on the condition <strong>of</strong> Burundi’s civilian population is highly problematic. In many cases, the authors found that little or no data was available with which to describe the <strong>humanitarian</strong> status <strong>of</strong> the Burundi population. Although the authors were still able to describe the condition <strong>of</strong> the civilian population in some detail, there remains in Burundi a great need to rehabilitate incountry <strong>humanitarian</strong> information systems. xxi
Page 1 and 2: Occasional Paper #29 THE HUMANITARI
Page 3: CONTENTS Preface ..................
Page 6 and 7: ing about political change through
Page 8 and 9: political changes, on the other. As
Page 10 and 11: NOTES 1 Thomas G. Weiss, David Cort
Page 12 and 13: continues to export, through smuggl
Page 14 and 15: Recommendations • The</st
Page 16 and 17: a system can be successful only if
Page 18 and 19: NOTES 1 Statement of</stron
Page 22 and 23: xxii
Page 24 and 25: UNHCR UNICEF UPRONA WFP WHO United
Page 26 and 27: xxvi
Page 28 and 29: Most exports transit through neighb
Page 30 and 31: whether distinctions between the tw
Page 32 and 33: The Military Coup
Page 34 and 35: indicating that negotiations should
Page 36 and 37: By this time, however, sanc
Page 39 and 40: CHAPTER 2 THE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS
Page 41 and 42: Burundi also has found ways to smug
Page 43 and 44: eappeared, along with salt from Tan
Page 45 and 46: egan to slow. With the onset <stron
Page 47 and 48: 1100 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 3
Page 50 and 51: sons, mostly farmers, resulted in e
Page 52 and 53: Rate of inflation
Page 54 and 55: However, CPI increases in the July-
Page 56 and 57: seeds, as well as the normal distri
Page 58 and 59: income. Coffee pro
Page 60 and 61: The embargo has pr
Page 62 and 63: Essential Drugs All human medicines
Page 64 and 65: target of vaccinat
Page 66 and 67: from chronic malnutrition. In the c
Page 68 and 69: Table 2.5: Populations and Observed
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and Food Supply Assessment Mission
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Table 3.1: Chronology of</s
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guidelines for exemptions. 2 <stron
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authorities and UN/NGO agencies gre
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fertilizers and to the potential lo
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items to be imported by the UN, sub
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Nairobi and Bujumbura, as well as t
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cratic problems associated with the
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Tanzania, so that only small quanti
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conflict-prone areas into regroupem
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10 World Food Programme, An Analysi
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CHAPTER 4 THE POLITICAL IMPACTS OF
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the country was in danger and urgen
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genocide deeply affected regional p
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if negotiations between opposing fa
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egion as a whole appears to have co
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to which political parties could ex
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On November 16, Buyoya once again m
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the Arusha IV Regional Summit on Ap
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“[T]he embargo set on Burundi mus
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International reported that “arme
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14 UN Information Service, “Speci
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46 Matthew Bigg, “Burundi defiant
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sustain the momentum of</st
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usiness-like enforcement of
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for prohibiting such items. UN sanc
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enforcement rather than allowed to
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talks and the Arusha Summit. At the
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Mid-August August 16 August 16 Augu
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flights for emergency evacuation so
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December 6 Franco-African Summit, O
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“appeals to the countries <strong
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Rudi Veestraeten Second Secretary,
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Alexandra Humme Arjun Katoch Freder
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114
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116
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elations. It seeks to be a multifac
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